


Breaking Time's Arrow

by bentofaxmachine



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: (but only Shinichi's!!), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood, Blood and Gore, Heist, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pandora - Freeform, Post-Black Organization Takedown (Meitantei Conan), Post-Conan Kudou Shinichi, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, Time Loop, but mainly hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28910712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bentofaxmachine/pseuds/bentofaxmachine
Summary: “I guess we know who the better KID was.”Kaito has lost Pandora, and lost the detective.  He's given a chance to undo this, but of course, with a witch such as Akako behind the deal, the magician will find himself dealing with more than he could have ever imagined.Over and over again.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 17
Kudos: 58





	1. Day 0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been _so_ excited to share this with you guys!! I'm working with my friend [Shion](https://twitter.com/ShionSkyplz?s=20) on this. His art isn't quite ready yet, but I've been holding on to this first part for so long and can't keep it from people anymore! I hope you enjoy this first part. 
> 
> Warnings: blood, death of a main character

Kaito climbs out of a large vent and sets foot in the security control room. A pink haze clouds the room, obscuring the magician’s vision of screens showing live footage throughout the Ekoda Cultural Arts Center. The gas doesn’t affect him, though, since Kaito’s spent so much time experimenting with the solution. He hardly gets a headache from the infamous sleeping gas, unlike the six victims sprawled at his feet: five officers in standard uniforms and Tanaka Hanna, a wealthy heiress to the Tanaka Corporation. 

The magician steps around the sleeping bodies and makes his way to one of the now empty chairs set before the screens filling the wall from his eye line to the ceiling. Kaito pulls a leg up so he can rest his chin on it. Bright and attentive eyes can scour each camera’s feedback. 

“Let’s see…” 

By the targeted exhibit’s north entrance, a figure in an Inverness cape and deerstalker cap chats with the inspector. Near the Ocean’s Drop itself, a couple with distinctive hairdos and warm coats observe the coveted opal. _Both of my critics are present_ , Kaito realizes. He lets out a small squeak of excitement and commits to the final plan.

The Londoner’s (frankly unwanted) presence at heists had increased after he had committed to some snobby university back in England, but it wasn’t often that both Tokyo detectives were at a heist. Between his nonassociation with Kaitou KID and his missing coursework from the… case abroad, Kudou Shinichi had spent months absent from heists. He had only started to make occasional appearances a few months ago, but in the few heists the Heisei Holmes had attended, esteemed news channels and KID fan pages alike had distinguished him as the KID Killer’s mentor. 

Tracking the detective by his cowlick, Kaito smiles at the memories of his more recent heists. He had to admit, it was fun to have the detective back; the familiar smirk would push KID to pull the most dangerous and gravity-defying stunts.

Kaito’s earpiece crackles, jerking him back to the present and making him wince. He adjusts the plastic in his ear, then lowers the volume to an acceptable volume. “Due to the unpredictable weather we’re having, it’s likely that KID will try and intermingle with our officers to escape!” Nakamori-keibu barks. Kaito sighs. _I’ll somehow have to make a rooftop escape. Thank you, Inspector, as usual, for the valuable information_. 

Kaito pulls off his tracksuit to begin the preparations for tonight’s disguise. Luckily, the heiress was easy to find since he could hear her complaints through the vents. Now just in a padded t-shirt and boxers, Kaito cringes at what he has to wear tonight. The three-piece suit is gaudy yet matronly, adding several decades of age to the 23-year-old woman. Her shoes are clunky and accented with an ugly, golden logo.

“Rich people and their designer brands,” Kaito tuts, “At least the Suzukis have a sense of style!”

When Kaito finishes slipping the suit on, the fabric is itchy against his arms and hangs from his chest awkwardly. He inflates his body pads to match Tanaka-san’s curves. Kaito always feels bad borrowing a victim’s clothes, but he felt slightly better about it with each condescending message Tanaka-san broadcasted towards KID over her family’s network. At this point, she had it coming.

Just as the officers on the screen begin to take their final formation around the Ocean’s Drop, Kaito slips on a latex mask and resculpts his face with the efficient, precise strokes of a professional. It’s therapeutic to watch as his face, a muted canvas transforms into something completely expressive and living. He finishes early and has 15 minutes to spare before the heist truly starts.

Kaito is careful to avoid stepping on any limbs as he moves to the door. Before he turns the handle, the magician turns around and winks at the slumbering people. 

“I’m sorry to have knocked you out before such a spectacular show,” he says to his unconscious audience. “It’s a shame you’ll miss it.” 

Kaito - now in a flawless Tanaka disguise - steps back into the hallway and tips his chin up. He’s watched enough videos of the woman to make the exhibit visitors shuffle aside as she stalks forward. It helps that no one wants to challenge such a demanding person.

Tanaka makes her way towards the gem, demanding loudly to do some final “spot checks” around the exhibit. Nakamori-keibu grumbles, but since the family had funded the entire (lackluster) security system tonight, he’s hardly in a position to dispute her. Hakuba taps his finger against the face of his watch in a show of uncharacteristic impatience. It brings Kaito a special joy to see the Londoner so exasperated. Meanwhile, Kudou cocks an eyebrow towards the heiress, meaning he’s already seen through the disguise. The detective says nothing though and turns to find where Mouri-san had gone.

Kaito ignores the Kudou’s behavior, which had become rather passive since his return for a still unknown reason. He doesn’t dwell on it though. Instead, Kaito puts his energy back into Tanaka, who takes her time observing every section of the exhibit. Through the patronizing comments on topics ranging from the inspector’s incompetence and the uncleanliness of the exhibit, the magician checks the vital points for his heist. Of course, everyone keeps their distance the entire time. _Each canister’s in place_ , _my room modifications haven’t been tampered with… it’s showtime!_

With a grin, the thief prepares his industrial gas mask and presses a button on his phone, activating the fog canisters which cloud up the room. Through the shouts and coughs, he slides on the mask and replaces the hideous suit with a familiar one. A sigh of relief escapes his lips as he breathes the clean air. Cape swishing behind him, KID clears his throat to enact the next part of his plan.

“Everyone, remain put!” KID orders. Only, it’s the inspector’s voice that comes to his mouth. “Our visibility radius with the smoke is too low for a safe evacuation.” 

“What? Don’t listen to him, that’s KID-” as the real Nakamori-keibu descends into a coughing fit, KID adjusts the mask’s eyepiece to locate the gem’s pedestal.

“Remain still,” KID adds with increased authority in his voice. When his modified eyewear verifies that people have listened to him, the thief makes his way towards his target.

His gloved hand glides over the top of the Ocean Drop’s glass casing, confirming that the electric current by the lock has been bypassed. Tanaka-san is an amateur to the world of KID heists: any challenger should know better than to think some electricity would stop him. Without it, it takes him under a minute to pick the lock and detach the glass from its pedestal.

He swaps the Ocean’s Drop for a meticulously cut forgery. It would need to last a while as he got away with the real thing. KID presses a final button on his phone after a count from three. As an army of hidden fans in the vents clear the fog, he watches as half of the present members are bent over, hacking, while the other half are rubbing at their red eyes. _Too strong for them, I guess. I’ll change up the solution for next time._

With a flourish, Kaito rips off his mask and lands on top of the showcase pedestal, his cape falling behind him stylishly. The forgery has replaced the authentic gem’s place in the now useless exhibit that he’s crouched upon, so the gem’s showcase looks as though it is untampered with. 

The inspector has gone red in the face. Internally, KID grimaces in sympathy, but he smirks for the crowd. “Welcome, everyone, to my show! I thank the Tanaka family for their challenge, although tonight's trick may feel a bit… premature.”

He stands up. The air currents from the vent are still running, rustling the KID uniform’s shoulder pads and cape. KID runs his fingers along the brim of his hat which is secured with pins. 

“Get him!” Nakamori-keibu yells. His officers let out a coordinated war cry.

“Wait a minute,” the thief warns with his signature lilt. The officers’ charge is halted when he lifts his hand in warning. “I wouldn’t step too close, or else you may be unpleasantly surprised.”

The officers hesitate, unsure if KID is bluffing or not. The thief takes this brief instance to assess his surroundings. Hakuba was watching him while holding one of the gas canisters that KID had left to be found by the detectives. Kaito was considering making a brief stop on his way out to tease him. Those thoughts were abandoned when he realized that the other detective was no longer watching the heist.

By chance, KID catches Kudou entering a staff stairwell. It’s the same one that he had planned to use for his alternative getaway, but those plans had changed in an instant. _I guess I’ll find you tonight instead_. 

From his raised hand, KID reveals a trio of innocent-looking spheres. With his other hand, he puts on a pair of specialized sunglasses that fit around his monocle.

“I shall come back to obtain the gem tomorrow. Until then!” KID throws down the three balls, which the audience finds to be modified flash bombs a moment too late. Through the revived chaos, KID changes back into his comfortable black tracksuit and follows Kudou's path.

Of course, he has no intentions of showing up tomorrow, since the real Ocean’s Drop is nestled in his breast pocket. He’ll probably drop off a note as Kaito and call it a night. What matters right now are his getaway and Kudou.

Kaito lets out a sigh of relief when the door closes behind him. He wasn’t worried about the inspector catching him, but rather the violent threats which left his lips. Luckily, the doors block muted these threats, and Kaito takes time to rub his temples before going in the only possible direction: up.

_Perhaps Kudou has another mission for me?_ he wonders as he starts climbing. It’s unlike the detective to miss the show. Midway through, a gunshot rings out. Kaito abandons all of his musings and sprints up the final flights of stairs, only pausing to put the white uniform back on.

As Kaito reaches the final landing, he kicks a cut chain aside and rams his arm into the door. Only, it opens easily, and KID is left stumbling into the cold air.

“ _Tantei-kun_ , what have you…” Kaito’s KID voice falters. “Kudou-tantei?”

There’s a heap on the ground, lying on the center of the roof. Kaito shudders as he realizes that it's not just a heap: there’s too much liquid surrounding it, reflecting the moon’s lighting in the clear sky. It smells metallic and he wants to gag at the overwhelming scent. 

“Kudou-san, are you okay?” Card gun in hand, Kaito rushes forwards to check on the detective. Halfway to Kudou, however, he’s stopped by a bullet grazing his shoulder. The card gun clatters to the ground and he hisses in pain, looking up at the perpetrator. 

“Snake.”

“Kaitou KID.” Snake makes his way towards the thief from the edge of the roof and they meet up halfway, conveniently on either side of the detective. Today, he’s got six men with him, faces obscured by their ugly fedoras. With his uninjured arm, KID reaches for his card gun, but Snake hardly seems alarmed by the action.

“It seems as though I found what we’ve been searching for all this time.” From his pocket, Snake holds up a gem - not the one that KID has safely hidden in his breast pocket - towards the moon. Its red glow is unmistakable. “It turns out your detective had Pandora on him the whole time.”

Snake puts the gem away, patting his pocket to tease the thief. It would be easy to pickpocket on a busy street, but KID’s injured and outnumbered. _Poker Face_ , he reminds himself, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain it as his defeat sinks in. KID opts to grit his teeth and stand up taller, only matching Snake’s height because of the top hat. “Did you stay here to gloat?”  
  
The murderer’s hand inches towards his holster. “Not just that-”  
  


Thanks to his quick instinct, KID dodges Snake’s aim releases his spare canisters of gas onto his lackeys. The gas isn’t as dense in an open environment, but it’s an effective enough distraction for him to set up an escape from the men in black.

“Shit, KID escaped on his hang glider!”

The mob watches as KID’s hang glider flies away from the building without a way for them to stop him. The specialized glider, complete with a propeller, is enough to fight against the heavy winds. Snake seethes. “Just the sniper stays. The rest of us are leaving before the police make their way up here.”

On his stomach, KID watches the men file back down the stairs. He lets out a sigh of relief and hops down from his hiding spot on top of the rooftop entrance. When he’s confident that he won’t be caught, he slips back down. 

Knocking out the sniper is easy. He probably used more knockout gas than necessary, but it hardly mattered when he had a dying detective to attend to.

Or dead.

Kaito crouches next to the bloody detective and places his gloved fingers on his neck. Then his wrist, his temple, even pulling off a slightly heeled shoe ( _why heeled?_ he lets himself wonder) to check his foot, but for the life of him, he can’t find Kudou Shinichi’s pulse.

“No,” Kaito whimpers. He kneels in the blood, refusing to tear his eyes away from Kudou’s face forever suspended in fear because if he does, he’ll see the dark hole in the detective’s chest surrounded by a damp and darkened ring.

“This is what you get for pursuing evil syndicates on your own,” he mutters, gently closing Kudou’s eyelids. He moves his focus to the pouch which lies next to his ear. It’s connected to a chain around his neck, which was probably hidden under the detective’s clothes.

“Pandora,” Kaito says to no one. “This is where Pandora was.” He looks up at the sky, but the moon is obscure by the brim of his top hat. 

“I failed, Oyaji,” he mourns. “Pandora is in the wrong hands and another person died for it.” Kaito closes his eyes and lets the air’s chill hit him. “I guess we know who the better KID was.”

He remains like that, facing the sky without actually allowing himself to look at it. But the dim lights dancing under his eyes become a dangerous, bloody red, forcing him to pry his eyes open and look at the new visitor on the roof. Everything around him is tinted in a familiar crimson, and the ground is covered in a black magic circle. Kaito pulls his face into an uncomfortably confident expression as if this had been his plan all along.

“What can I do for you, Akako-san?” Kaito asks. He knows he doesn’t sound like KID, and it makes him suddenly self-conscious of his position still over Kudou’s corpse. He moves to get up but finds that his muscles are frozen in place.

“I’d rather not see your bloodied pants,” Akako says. “I’m sorry for your… loss, by the way.”

Kaito’s not sure if she’s talking about the gem or the detective.

When he says nothing, she walks over and crouches next to the magician, who's given no choice but to watch as the witch materializes an arrow and holds up to his eyes.

“KID-sama, are you aware of ‘Time’s Arrow’?” 

Kaito shakes his head. Akako smirks. “As I thought.”

She takes the arrow and places it into Kaito’s hands. “In this reality, time is like an arrow. It moves forward in a straight path, without the chance to stop or stray. It is one of the few guarantees in a mortal’s life, that one moves forward with time, meaning that death is inevitable.

“Obviously, these rules can be bent with magical artifacts such as Pandora.” Kaito feels his gut twist as she mentions the gem. “However, that does not alter the universal passage of time, but its passage within one person. Under this full moon, I can give you the chance to alter all of time. Not only would you be given the chance to destroy your dear Pandora, but you could also save your dear detective as well. In the meantime, failure would hardly result in dire consequences for yourself.”

“Not my detective,” he mutters. Akako laughs at that.

With a snort of humorless laughter, Kaito trains his eyes to the arrow, admiring its intricate detail. Its shaft was made of an otherworldly material, with particles of gold dancing in the mended cracks which had likely been filled as a product of time itself. At one end was a silver arrowhead which was attached magically without any binding, and at the other end were fletchings made from trimmed white peacock feathers dusted with gold at the end. It’s mesmerizing, to say the least.

“So it’s a time loop?”

Akako rolls her eyes. “If you want to disregard the Arrow’s Intricate relation to red magic, then yes, a time loop would be an elementary yet acceptable way to describe my offer to you.”

Kaito hums. He hardly sees any reason not to enter the time loop if time right now: everything feels fucked, to say the least. Pandora is dangerous in the wrong hands, and Snake is the last person he wants possessing the gem. “There are conditions, I presume.”

“You guess well, phantom thief. A disruption to Time’s Arrow doesn’t possess any time limitations, meaning you could choose to live out a full life before finding yourself back at the beginning. However, if you or Kudou Shinichi, the keeper of Pandora, die, then Time’s Arrow will skew.” Akako crouches down so her eyes line up with Kaito’s. “And of course, when you decide to mend Time to this reality’s standards, then I will require your eternal allegiance in exchange.”

He grimaces. “You’ve never been subtle, Akako-sama. All of this to have a phantom thief bow to you?”

Akako giggles in her wicked way. “My magic comes with a price and you are my sole desire, KID-sama. Besides, you hardly have a choice, don’t you? Without proper intervention, your crows will wreak havoc all over this Earth.”

It kills his pride to admit she’s right, but when Kaito looks down at the body before him, he knows that Kaitou KID could never decline such an opportunity.

“I accept,” Kaito states as he takes a reluctant breath. The arrow is plucked out of his hands, and the witch balances the arrowhead in her hands.

“So it shall be.” Akako snaps the arrow, separating the arrowhead from the shaft. It emits a shockwave that nearly knocks Kaito over in his still-frozen state. He watches as the Tokyo skyline progressively loses power and can’t help but be relieved that he won’t have to live through the consequences.

By the time the lights across the city turn back on, Akako has placed the arrowhead, now attached to a chain, around his neck. It’s light, but Kaito still struggles to breathe with it on.

“You give this to me when you wish to mend Time’s Arrow,” Akako orders. “Whatever happens, don’t destroy this charm, or you will be permanently stranded without the relief of death. It will return to you after each loop, but a broken arrow is a broken arrow.”

Kaito nods. “So, where’s the beginning?”

The witch’s lips curl into a mysterious smile. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Akako kisses Kaito’s cheek, and he’s overcome with a wave of dizziness overtaking his body. As he begins to lose consciousness, Akako leans over him with almost a pensive smile. He can’t help but be grateful that she doesn’t reach for his monocle.

“Good luck, Kuroba-kun.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the next part is titled "Loop One: 2 Steps Forwards, 1 Step Back" and it won't be posted for a while... I think. I'm not great about sticking to plans.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please leave comments below; even just a "!!!!" is enough to encourage me to write a little more :)
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://bentofaxmachine.tumblr.com/)


	2. 2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito's first time going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 0 art from [@ShionSkyplz](https://twitter.com/ShionSkyplz?s=20)!! You can see it [here](https://twitter.com/ShionSkyplz/status/1357713136984424454?s=20)

In an instant, Kaito reappears (rematerializes? teleports?) in a familiar room. Panicked, he whips his head around, searching for any anomalies. Pink haze, sleeping officers, walls lined with camera data: everything is exactly where it should be.

Whatever Kaito was expecting, it wasn’t… this. He had been brought back to this moment after Akako’s voice faded away, without a chance to breathe. Unlike the myths his father had told him, he didn’t get to dream either. 

He begins to slowly move his body, anticipating the typical post-heist aches. There’s none, not even residual soreness from climbing the stairs or the painful bullet wound that cut his shoulder.

“Impossible…” Kaito mutters. Less hesitant to move, he pats himself down. There’s nothing different, except for an unfamiliar weight on his neck. He closes his fist around the charm and scans the screens.  _ Again, Hakuba and Kudou-tantei are in their exact locations _ . Nakamori-keibu is screaming the same information into his ear. 

_ Everything’s the same. _ The magician can’t quite comprehend that, the fact that he knows what happens next. But then he sees the Tokyoite detective's face burst into laughter, and he knows then that things could be different. He knows where Pandora is and Snake doesn’t, so everything’s a little bit different this time. Perhaps things could even be better.

Determined, Kaito wastes no time preparing for his heist. Donning Tanaka’s disguise for the second time in what feels like two hours takes away the novelty of it, but the familiar sensation of makeup brushes against his cheek ground him nonetheless. Her suit, however, somehow seems uglier the second time around.

It hadn’t occurred to him that the familiarity of the disguise would make it so easy to do. By the time he’s done, Hakuba is still speaking with Nakamori-keibu. In the meantime, he swivels his chair around, careful not to get too dizzy by the motion. 

Kaito thinks about the first time he had done this heist. He winces at the memories of violent hacking from officers and detectives alike. To be fair, the gas had been excessively dense. Even with his modified mask, the magician could hardly see what was going on. Kaito pulls out his phone.

“B-botchama, you never call me so close to a heist. Has something gone wrong?”

Kaito smiles at Jii-chan’s concern. “No, I actually have a couple of adjustments to make. Can you reduce the speed of the released gas by 9%?”

“But we expir-”

“Trust me, Jii-chan. It won’t be necessary to be so dense.” With that, Kaito hangs up and stands makes his way towards the door. In a passing thought, he wonders if he’ll see the old man before he dies, but the magician shakes it from his head.

At the door, he turns around and gives an apologetic smile. It doesn’t match Tanaka-san’s unkind face.

“Sorry about this… again. This time it wasn’t my fault though. Well… not really. It’s complicated.”

Kaito chuckles and steps back into the Ekoda Cultural Arts Center. Like last time, people part as Tanaka-san makes her way down the halls. Kaito takes advantage of the fact that he knows the canisters are in place to observe the rest of the exhibit. 

_ How did she make art boring? _ Aside from the Ocean’s Drop on its deceptively simple pedestal, there are only a couple of generic paintings that hang on the dreary walls. The ancient artifacts placed in a long showcase weren’t properly lit. It was too bad, since Kaito’s sure that the old scriptures would have attracted so much more attention if they weren’t so hard to see.

_ Tanaka-san will get the hang of it, though, if there’s ever another KID heist _ . Kaito shivers at the  _ if _ which assaults his mind, but he hardly has the time to consider the possibility when Nakamori-keibu begins to make his way over to the supposed heiress.

To avoid confrontation, Kaito activates the fog canisters. He grins at Nakamori-keibu with the signature KID smirk as fog surrounds him. If he thought the inspector was fuming at the realization that the thief was within his clutches, then the only way to describe him after KID… borrowed his voice was “batshit insane”.

While letting the fog clear, Kaito changes into his gas mask and KID uniform. The coughing is less intense this time, and he’s satisfied with the change he made. He hopes to get a chance to thank Jii-chan for the adjustment after the heist. 

KID crouches on top of the pedestal, cape billowing just as it had last time. Obviously, the gem swap has already been done.

“Welcome, everyone, to tonight’s heist!” He rises to his full height, scanning the crowd for the detectives. Naturally, Hakuba’s glaring holes through the suit, but Kudou is turned away from the heist. Mouri-san whispers into his ear.  _ Don’t go _ , Kaito reads. After a moment Kudou shakes his head and makes his way to the door.

KID gives an amused smirk. “I will return tomorrow for the Ocean’s Drop. In the meantime, please appreciate my early gift… if you can find it.” He bows theatrically, grinning at the whispers which travel through his audience. “Until we meet again!” he concludes, dropping the flash bombs. Amidst the chaos, KID slips into a police uniform and dashes towards the same doors as last night ( _ last time _ , he corrects himself). 

He doesn't even take the time to appreciate the muting effect of the shut doors, climbing the stairs as he haphazardly changes back into his official uniform. It occurs to Kaito midway that he lacks an actual plan to get the gem from Kudou. Would asking be enough? Does he know anything about Pandora? There’s a possibility since their fathers had faced off over a decade ago.

When he gets near the top of the stairs, KID halts to arm himself with the card gun. When he turns around the corner, gun drawn, he faces the infamous tranquilizer watch. For a moment, the two boys remain frozen, suspended in a standoff.

In the brief moment they stay still, Kaito takes in the detective in all of his living glory. He’s wearing a trenchcoat, but unlike Hakuba’s, it’s a dark blue which barely nearly dips into black. Kaito has to admit that it’s flattering to Kudou’s physique and tastefully contrasts against the navy blue sweater he wears underneath, although the fit at his shoulders' is awkward. Judging by the excessive wrinkles which run throughout the sleeves, he assumes that the detective didn’t return as tall as he had expected.

_ Or desired _ , he points out, remembering that the Oxfords that Kudou is wearing have subtly raised heels.

The detective quickly lowers his weapon.

“Oh, it’s just you,” he laments, waving the thief over.

Kaito’s jaw almost drops at Kudou’s, but he quickly composes himself. “Who the hell do you think I am?” he retorts, card gun still raised. The detective’s face doesn’t react, but Kaito can see him biting down on his cheek. “You’re happy to see me!”

Kudou rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny the claim. In the dim lighting, Kaito wonders if he’s imagining the pink flush on the detective’s face. He turns towards the door and points at a chain on the ground. “Signs of forced entry. There are some suspicious people out there. I was about to confront them.” 

“Alone? Again? Did you forget what happened last time?” 

“Shut up.” The two fall into silence as they check the landing for other anomalies. It’s become more common between the two of them recently, replacing the time that had once been devoted to petty banter. Kaito had disliked the change, but Shinichi seemed to enjoy it, even encourage it between the two.

“I need Pandora,” Kaito finally says, turning towards the detective.

“Why?” Kudou’s hand reflexively travels to his chest, clutching the gem under his sweater. “Wait, how did you know about it?”

KID shakes his head. “We don’t have time right now, but they’ll probably kill us if the gem isn’t destroyed in time.”

The detective’s eyes widened. “You know them? Why-”

“I’ll explain to you later. Please, just give me the gem.”

“But I-”

“Kudou-tantei, please.” 

“I can’t just giv-”

The door creaks open then, and the two of them stop speaking.  _ Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy. _

“Get behind me,” Kaito whispers. Kudou doesn’t listen though, and remains rooted to the spot. He’s about to yell at the detective, but remembers - 

_ “Alone? Again? Did you forget what happened last time?” _

Upon closer inspection, Kudou’s eyes widen and his body shakes. Of course he remembers what happened. How could he forget?

Kaito closes his mouth. He grabs Kudou’s forearm and pulls him behind KID’s imposing figure. 

“You’ll be safer here,” the magician says.  _ I’ll protect you _ , he wants to add, but Kaito’s uneasy about making promises he might not fulfill. He grips the card gun, grateful for the gloves which prevent it from slipping out of his hands. 

First, the barrel of a gun pokes its way through, following an arm and a man in a black trenchcoat and fedora. Not Snake, but KID recognizes him as a regular at his heists and from last night ( _ not last night _ , he corrects himself). 

“So the boss was right. Kaitou KID is there.” KID hears Kudou’s breathing shake when the man’s eyes peek out from under his fedora. “And with a guest? How odd.”

KID’s about to raise his gun, but is halted when the man cocks his own. It makes a  _ click _ that echoes around the trio. “Put the gun down, Kaitou KID.”

The thief stands his ground.

“There’s more of us coming up right now. Your best chances for a painless death would be to join us on the roof,” the man says. He holds the door open for the two of them and motions them to follow. 

Kudou shifts behind KID, rustling the cape. “Can you get us out of here?”

KID grits his teeth. The two of them are being watched now, which means that he can’t use the hang glider. Approaching footsteps increase their volume as Snake’s other men make their way to the top. “I’m sorry, _ Tantei-kun _ . Let’s hope that death’s not too painful.”

With that, the thief fixes his suit and makes his way to the door. He waits for the detective to follow, who does so hesitantly.

They step onto the rooftop. Kaito had been prepared for the winds, but Shinichi shivers and pulls his jacket around his body. The two of them are led over to the small mob, headed by Snake. 

“It’s unlike you to give up so easily, Kaitou KID.” 

The thief says nothing, but makes a show out of holding the Ocean’s Drop towards the moon. 

“I don’t have what you need tonight,” he says. Snake jerks his head, and as if on cue, Kudou inhales sharply. The men who had followed them up must have pressed a gun to him. Stiffening at the detective’s grip on his cape, KID relents and tosses the opal over. Snake’s lips curl at the interaction. 

“You can’t run away if there’s another person with you, can you? Kaitou KID, forever burdened by his morals.” 

“A gentleman protects their people. Besides, I would rather live such a burdened life than the lawless ones your men lead,” KID says, tipping his head up.

“Your flawed ideals will cost you.” His father’s killer steps forward. He pulls out a gun, elongated by a silencer, and fires two consecutive shots at the boys. Kaito cries out as the two of them collapse on the ground. He’s never been more than grazed by a bullet, and the pain paralyzes him to the point that he can’t do more than look at the sky. It’s especially clear tonight.

Dying is painful, Kaito realizes. Looking over and watching the detective’s labored breathing makes it hurt more because only he knows that it will be the second time that Kudou will die there. The blood from the matching holes in their lungs trickle towards each other on the cement. 

A blurry shadow looms over Kudou. He lets out a pained groan which overlaps with an amused sound from Snake. “Is this why you’ve allied yourself with the detective, KID?”

_ Not allies _ , he tries to say, but he instead releases a series of unintelligible gasps which leaves a metallic taste in his mouth. Through his fading vision, Kaito sees a glow of red in the murderer’s hand.  _ So they picked Pandora off of the dying detective like vultures. _

He figured. Snake and his men aren’t all that smart. It’s something that Kaito would vocalize to the mob, if it wasn’t for his loud, labored breathing.

Snake laughs at the noises which the thief lets out. “Be patient, KID. I’ll get to you next.”

He flicks his gun at Kaito’s forehead, which tips off his top hat. KID’s supposed to be an enigma, but Kaito has never felt more exposed in his life. He struggles without avail as the perpetrator traces its barrel across his cheekbones and slips around his neck. 

“You look like the first KID. I killed him too, you know.”

For a while, Snake takes his time to search Kaito. He feels a pull, and Snake observes the arrowhead’s chain. When he sees that it’s nothing of value, he tosses it onto Kaito’s stomach. However, Snake does laugh maniacally when he hands the infamous card gun to one of his men. 

Eventually, he pulls out a second gun, identical to the first, and places one each between the dying teens’ eyes.  _ Snake doesn’t carry two guns, _ Kaito thinks between choked breaths.  _ Why now? _

“But I guess it just makes it easier to do this.”

_ K _ aito clenches his eyes shut, and as the loud sound fills his ears, he’s just grateful that he’ll have a better plan next time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are beginning to pick up!
> 
> I'm on tumblr: [link](https://bentofaxmachine.tumblr.com/)


	3. I Just Want To Live Until Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito's second loop.

Pink haze, sleeping people, security data… he’s right back where he started. He can breathe again, and his mouth is devoid of the metallic taste which was there just a moment before. It persists, however, and Kaito is left battling the phantom taste that assaults his mouth.

Kaito watches the cameras for the third time. It’s the same, again, and he’s not sure why he even checked. Again, he puts on the heiress’s disguise but it feels lackluster. Again, he calls Jii-chan to adjust the fog’s density.

He has to admit, this isn’t fun the third time around.

When there are no preparations left to do, Kaito is left to think about last time.

His first death.

He doesn’t want to, because it may affect his performance during the heist (though what does it matter? He’s already got his path memorized), but once he starts, it refuses to leave his mind: the detective’s fear when the man caught them on the stairwell, the blood trickling down his body, a confession that they’re _not allies_.

Because they’re not allies. They’re detective and thief, rivals. When he sees Kudou through the screens, Kaito feels the need to protect him because he’s already watched him die twice and isn’t sure if he could handle a third time.

Speaking of which, how is he going to protect Kudou? With people coming up the stairs, the only way to stay alive is to fly, but his hang glider can’t handle the weight of two adults…

Kaito takes out the glider, modified with Jii-chan the night before (How long has it _really_ been?) to travel heavy winds. It’s got a propellor on it as well, in case all else fails He then checks the time. There’s still 20 minutes to the heist. 

_If the only way to stay alive is off..._

Kaito sighs and reviews his available data on the neighboring buildings, all also owned by the Tanaka conglomerate. He fiddles with the glider, hoping that it will be enough to live another day.

...

Two minutes before the heist, Kaito as Tanaka-san approaches Kudou and Mouri-san.

“Tanaka-san,” Kudou greets with a terse head nod. Mouri-san elbows him, and they bow towards the heiress in sync. 

“I trust that you’ll apprehend the thief tonight,” Tanaka-san sniffs. 

Rather than respond, Kudou lets out a laugh. “That is my job, isn’t it?”

He then winks at Tanaka-san, which earns the detective another violent jab to his rib.

Kaito’s so grateful to see life in the Kudou that for a moment, he doesn’t care that his cover is likely exposed to him. The magician stumbles off to activate the fog canisters, not thinking about how the detective never committed to capturing him.

...

The heist begins. It’s rather tiring for the thief.

Why’s he even doing this? It takes so much time and Kudou hardly has any of that.

...

  
  


KID’s already armed with his card gun when he reaches the final flight of stairs. He makes a quick pause when he turns around the corner to collect himself. When the magician turns the corner, he doesn’t wait for Kudou to lower the watch.

“Oh, it’s just yo-”

Kaito barrels into Kudou, pressing his mouth with the gun-free hand. The extra momentum makes them stumble back into the wall. Kaito becomes acutely aware of how close they are when Kudou’s face warms under his glove. The detective’s proximity would be overwhelming if it wasn’t for the magician’s relief in seeing him alive. 

Kudou’s eyes are desperate as he tries to twist out of his grip. Kaito shakes his head, jerking his head towards the door. “They’ll find us if you say anything,” he warns. He relaxes at that, and Kaito lets his hand drop. He sees the hand-shaped imprint that he’s left on the detective and backs away a couple of steps.

“Sorry,” Kaito mutters. He backs away a couple of steps.

Shinichi rubs his cheeks as the color flows back into them. “It’s fine.”

Kaito kicks the chain aside and peeks through the door. For now, he can only see three of the men.

“There are six of them on the roof, meaning that we’re outnumbered. They also have more men coming up right now, which means that our only way to stay alive is to get off of this building. Luckily, the building to the east has a lower roof, which means that I won’t have to worry about maintaining speed.”

He points in their intended direction. Shinichi remains silent and sends the thief a suspicious glare.

“I’m not trying to kill you,” Kaito offers with a huff.

“Then why do you know all of this?”

“A magician doesn't reveal their secrets.” 

He ignores the way that the detective clicks his tongue. Door still ajar, Kaito counts four out of the six men. _If I can get past them, then the other two should hardly be an issue._

Kaito reaches into his pocket for the spare canisters for gas. He throws them at the men. He grabs Kudou’s wrist and pulls him through the door. 

“We’re going now!”

The detective yelps as he’s jolted forward, and coughs as he’s pulled through the gas. It’s probably not safe to be exposed to twice in an evening, but KID figures that it’s better than dying.

“O-oi KID, are you sure that this is-”

Kudou screams as KID launches the two of them into the air. The magician pulls up the detective and deploys the hang glider. 

“What the fuck? You didn’t think it was important to mention that we’d be flying?”

Kaito shrugs. “You’ve done it before.”

“I was _six_!”

“It was two years ago.”

“I’m bigger now! You’re going to drop me.”

The magician rolls his eyes but pulls the detective in tighter. He’s never realized how thin Kudou actually is since his layered outfits conceal his figure. “Better?”

He gets a sigh in return. “Yes,” Kudou admits. Kaito’s glad that the detective can’t see his triumphant smile as he lowers the glider to prepare for a landing. 

They fall into their typical silence. Kudou watches the ground, where the red lights begin to spread out throughout the city. As the landing site approaches, Kaito feels Kudou suck in sharply and curse.

“Tantei-kun!”

“Sniper. It’s just a graze and there’s hardly any blood. Just focus on getting us somewhere safe.”

Kaito checks behind him as another bullet comes their way. This one misses completely, and he’s left wondering if the man is an amateur. Regardless, he shifts his body weight back to lower the glider as they approach the targeted building. Only, with a second passenger, the descent is happening too fast.

_Shit._ Kaito can’t let the detective get hurt again. _You’ve already seen him die_ , his mind reminds him, but he pushes the thoughts away. When he gets near the ground, he closes the hang glider. Kaito twists himself to be underneath Kudou and curls around him protectively. He adjusts his grip around the other boy too.

For a moment, while his eyes are closed, the detective and the thief remain still in the air. KID’s cape and Kudou’s jacket both flap up and obscure part of their view when they open again. Kaito tucks his face into the detective’s shoulder, willing the moment to last a little longer.

It doesn’t last though, and even though he’s facing the sky, the magician can see through the ground approaching from his peripheral vision. He twists his body to the side to limit the range of his injuries. Their speed picks up and Kaito squeezes his grip on the detective. Somehow, he doesn’t cry out as his right side skids across the coarse ground.

The two of them cling onto each other long after they have stopped. Eventually, Kaito detaches his arms from Kudou, who pushes the thief. Kaito doesn’t have the energy to do anything other than roll with his momentum. He assesses the rip in his pants from the bullet. From the magician’s angle, his cowlicks are more unruly than ever. 

With a heavy groan, Kaito props himself up to his elbows. “Are you okay?”

“It was just a graze.” Kudou crouches down and looks down at the magician’s legs. “Are you?”

Kaito drops his own eyes with Kudou’s. On his outer thigh, there’s a large chunk of KID’s pants torn apart. The hanging scraps are stained the same red as his exposed leg. He pokes a gloved finger next to the injury and winces. “It seems shallow, I’ll be fine alone.”

Kudou shakes his head. “You don’t need to downplay the injury for me. I bet you can’t even stand up.” 

“Of course I-” Kaito’s cut short by a pain that shoots through his right leg as he tries to bend it. _This… is a problem._ It’s not often that he gets such debilitating injuries. Kaito takes a breath “-I’ll be fine. I have some painkillers on me which will kick in a half-hour after I take them.” He reveals two pills and tosses them into his mouth. “You can leave me here.”

Instead, the detective offers up a hand. “Idiot. You saved me today, the least I can do is help you out. Let’s find a first aid kit.” 

Kaito smiles and grabs the detective’s arm. They hobble down the rooftop stairs, and Kaito tries not to feel too embarrassed every time he misses a step and takes the detective down with him. The first exit they find leads to a dimly lit office, lined with hundreds of uniform and insignificant desks. Kudou ushers him to the bathroom and sits him on the long counter with identical sinks at even intervals. They ease Kaito’s injured leg under a faucet, which Shinichi turns on to let the water run gently.

“Don’t go anywhere,” he orders. _How could I?_ Kaito almost snarks, but he goes with his better judgment and says nothing when the detective disappears into the office again. As soon as Kudou leaves, Kaito adjusts his top hat to better hide his face from the detective. He kicks his uninjured leg childishly and stares at the stalls in front of him. The adrenaline rush begins to wear off, and the dull pulsing in his leg from the running water is the only thing keeping his eyes from closing.

Kudou returns with a white box and turns off the faucet. Going by the displeased noise which leaves the detective’s lips, what he finds is substandard at best. He pulls out a pair of gloves and gingerly touches the injury. Kaito lets out an involuntary whimper, and the detective steps back.

The detective’s undivided attention is overwhelming. Averting his eyes isn’t enough to feel the gaze threatening to expose him. “I just don’t want to hurt you,” Kudou soothes. 

“I’m fine,” he squeaks, fiddling with the brim of his hat.

He hears the detective laugh lightly in response but says nothing. Kudou takes a bottle of antiseptic out and begins to dab it on the injury. Kaito inhales sharply at the first touch. This time, grateful that the detective waits until his muscles relax to continue.

“You’ll probably need to get it stitched up at some point, but since we’re working on a small amount of time and these items are low quality, I’m going to overlook that. For now, I’m cleaning the injury because exposure to bacteria could-”

“-cause infection. I know, _Tantei-kun_. I carry the painkillers for a reason, you know. How many heists do you think I have left unscathed?”

Kudou stiffens, but says nothing as he refocuses on the injury. “Overapplication of antiseptic can damage your skin, so just be careful.” Kaito, too distracted by the detective’s precise strokes, says nothing. He’s meticulous, checking under the tear in his pants as well.

Eventually, Kudou stands up from his crouched position, stretching his back. “All I need to do now is bandage the injury but you’ll… have to… uh…”

Kaito looks up at the detective. “I’ll need to take off my pants for that, won’t I?”

The detective flushes red and coughs awkwardly. Kaito can’t help but chuckle.

“You’ve done enough tonight. I’ll take care of it from here.”

Kudou nods and makes his way towards the door. Halfway there, he turns back around. “Good night, KID.”

Without giving a chance for Kaito to respond, the detective turns around, runs into the door, and leaves the bathroom. Kaito can’t help but laugh but waits until he’s sure that Kudou won’t hear him.

Part of him wishes that he had asked the detective to stay. The silence seems empty without him around. Kaito bandages the injury with ease, changes into his black outfit, and wipes down any evidence. By then, his painkillers have started to work, allowing the magician to limp down the stairs an innocuous yellow Beetle that he and Jii-chan had borrowed for the night. The old man jerks awake from his nap when he taps on the window. The car makes a clicking sound and Kaito slips into the passenger seat.

“Kaito-botchama, you didn’t follow through with my escape plans.”

Kaito leans his head against the window and closes his eyes. He wasn’t supposed to take more than one of those pills, but the pain was unbearable in the moment. He yawns. “I was helping an…”

What was Kudou? Not a friend, and hardly a rival anymore. He remembers Snake from the last heist: _“It seems unlikely for such a notorious thief to ally themselves with anyone, let alone a detective.”_

“... an ally,” he finishes. Jii-chan nods, mentioned something about talking to his professor friend. He hardly hears it though, as he falls asleep for what feels like the first time in a very long time. 

...

When Kaito wakes up in his own bed after a night of actual rest and sleep, he nearly cries with joy. He’s in the process of stretching his back muscles when he hears a familiar voice through his window. 

“Bakaito! Get up or we’ll be late for school!”

He’s not even slightly annoyed by Aoko this morning. “Give me a break! I just got up,” he yells back, slipping in a yawn for good measure. Kaito sits up on the side of his bed and tries to stand up, but winces at the motion. His hand instinctively travels to the bandages on his right leg. He considers just taking another painkiller and calling it enough, but he remembers Kudou’s concerned reminder in his mind and reaches for a bottle hidden in his nightstand. 

He tries to be careful, but for some reason, Kudou had cleaned the wound better. It must take him longer, too, because he hears footsteps storming into his house. The door slams open.

“Bakaito, if Aoko finds that you’re planning another prank-”

Aoko falls silent, staring at the ghastly wound on her friend’s thigh.

Kaito shifts. “You should knock, Ahoko,” he grumbles. He suppresses any feelings of joy at their reunion.

“We’re well past that.” Aoko takes a towel from his bathroom and the bottle from his hands. It’s replaced with a breakfast sandwich, filled with excess eggs and bacon she had just thrown onto a bun. “Eat.”

Kaito takes the sandwich, occasionally choking due to Aoko’s brisk movements. Unlike Kudou, she has no qualms about pressing down onto the injury, as long as the cut is clean.

They make it out of Kaito’s door in time. The entire way there, Aoko complains about how Hakuba had stood her up _again_ (“Honestly, he should just marry the damn thief at this point!”). Kaito smiles and nods, ignoring the small twist in his gut. 

Being KID had cost him Aoko, and when their final year at Ekoda High School separated him from Aoko and Hakuba, he knew that he should let her go. Kaito has tried to, but part of him fears that he’ll never be able to stop fighting for her. 

Kaito’s reprieve comes when they enter the school’s front gate and Aoko runs off to her new friends from the international cuisine group she had formed with Hakuba. While he appreciated the change in food each night, it just stood as another sign that he was losing her.

On his way to his classroom, Kaito stops to talk with his classmates, something that had started after his time with Aoko decreased. He makes a point to treat them to good magic, gifting all of his classmates with roses of warm hues and unknowingly leaving half of them blushing in his wake. When he enters the classroom, the magician rolls his eyes at the person waiting at his desk.

“Again? I wasn’t at the heist last night, asshole.”

Hakuba disregards Kaito’s comments, nodding his head in greeting instead. “I’m certain you’re at least aware of the events at the KID heist last night? Since you’re such an avid fan.”

Kaito smiles sweetly to disarm the detective. “Of course. I was at home, unlike someone who canceled a date last night.” He’s satisfied as his classmate bites his lip, a sign that Kaito has learned to associate with defeat. “But, in case I missed something, would you care to tell me what the police had to say?”

“Oh, so you didn’t learn this from the posted broadcast? Perhaps you learned about the events through a more… hands-on approach?” Hakuba’s pretentious smirk returns. “Apparently there was a sniper on the rooftop of the Ekoda Cultural Arts Center.”

Kaito rolls his eyes. “Obviously.”

“There are also countless witnesses who state that Kaitou KID kidnapped Kudou Shinichi.”

He freezes. “Is Kudou-tantei okay?”

“Yes, and he denies that it was a kidnapping. Obviously, we must assume that his recount of the night’s events is skewed in favor of KID, since...” Hakuba’s voice fades away. The magician looks up, expectant, but the detective gives him a patronizing smile instead. “You’ll find out soon enough, KID.”

“I can’t wait until you return to England, Hakubast-” 

Kaito’s interrupted by a sudden pulsing in his chest. He feels his heart growing (or shrinking), and breathes heavily, collapsing in his seat. On the outside, his skin burns, and Kaito worries that his chest hill peels. He’s got his eyes squeezed shut, hunched over in pain, but it’s obvious that the detective’s demeanor has changed into genuine concern. 

“Kuroba-kun, are you okay? Should I get Aoko-san?”

He shakes his head, perhaps too aggressively that Hakuba pushes away their classmates and calls his girlfriend despite Kaito’s objections. 

“She’s not picking up, I’ll be right back.”

Hakuba runs out of the classroom, leaving Kaito aware that all of his peers are staring at him. The door opens again, and an overwhelming pulse of pain overtakes his body, leaving the magician clawing at his chest… 

...and wrapping his hand on the arrowhead. As he closes his fist and pulls at the chain, Kaito finds himself shaking. Someone’s making it worse.

_Akako._

“Kuroba-kun, I assume you had a pleasant night last night?”

With every step she takes, a new wave of pain overtakes him, each one more excruciating than the last. By the time she stills, he’s struggling to breathe. Each attempt comes out as a choked gasp.

“Kuroba-kun?” Her voice sounds innocent and unknowing. Kaito seethes.

“Back… away…”

Kaito feels the pressure on his chest ease. He takes several gulps of air and points an accusatory finger at Akako. She’s backed against the wall with tear-brimmed eyes that seem misplaced on her.

“Stay away from me, Koizumi.”

Her face goes from distress to confusion. Any chatter in the room has ceased. No one has ever heard their class clown’s voice so filled with hatred.

“Kuroba-kun, what did I do?”

“You don’t remember?” The magician’s voice is incredulous, but as the words escape his lips, it makes _so much sense_. 

  
Why would she choose to remember every time? Kaito should have seen it coming, but for some reason, he’s left shocked and dejected by another reminder that he’s in this alone. 

He tries to pull his lips into a smile and climbs unsteadily onto the window ledge. “I can’t believe you all believed that!” He tries to sound lighthearted and succeeds in drawing laughter from most of his classmates. Meanwhile, Akako looks unconvinced, and Hakuba and Aoko look worried by the door.

“I’ll be off now.” He disappears in a cloud of smoke.

…

  
  


Somehow, Kaito finds himself on a train away from Ekoda. He bought a ticket for the next station over, but doesn’t get off. The further from Akako, the better, he decides. From his seat, he stares out the window, watching as the houses and apartments in muted tones pass each other. He gets odd glares from the few passengers who sit in the car as well. It occurs to Kaito that wearing a school uniform on a train in the mid-morning isn’t such a great look. _They probably think I’m skipping class._

To be fair, he is.

The other passengers get off, but Kaito makes no move to follow. All that accompanies Kaito is the rhythmic bumps from the train tracks and the car’s light whirring noise. Kaito thinks it’s some metaphor for his life right now.

“The next stop is Beika Station,” the intercom crackles. 

_Kudou lives in this area, doesn’t he?_ Kaito sits up, finally having some semblance of a plan for what comes next. He stands up and waits at the train’s doors, bracing himself against a pole as it slows to a stop.

As soon as the train stops, he makes his way to the station kiosk which is located next to the station’s electric turnstiles. There’s a police officer there, swiping through a dating app on people who are probably too young for him. Kaito pulls his best distressed face (it’s not hard to do right now) and taps on the window.

The officer nearly drops his phone and looks up at him. “Can I help you, son?”

Kaito takes an uneven breath. “I… was on my way to school and fell asleep on the way there. My ticket is for Sakuradai station, but I had a difficult night, and…” He lets his voice fade away and averts his eyes. 

As expected, the officer takes pity. “Don’t worry about it.”

He stands up and unlocks the manual one, allowing Kaito through the station. “You’re quite away from your school. Will you have any trouble getting there?” He shakes his head and says his thanks to the officer.

Even a couple of days ago, he wouldn’t have imagined doing such a thing as Kaito. KID already attracts enough attention for his illegal activities. He can’t bring himself to care, though.

Kaito walks out of the station and looks around. By chance, he sees a familiar cowlick on the opposite side of the street _._ Kudou’s in his school uniform, a sharp blue suit which distinguishes the private school from other high schools in the district. He’s never met another student in Tokyo who thinks highly of that school.

He’s careful to keep a distance from the detective, who’s developed a sixth sense for the thief. Kaito’s not sure how effective it is outside of heists, but it’s better to not take any chances. Fortunately, the detective is preoccupied with a phone call and seems unaware of the boy that’s tailing him. Kaito’s too far from to hear what’s going on, but he hears _“Ran” and “sorry” and “heist”_ and knows that he too should be in class right now.

The detective turns into a coffee shop. Kaito can’t help but laugh at the lack of remorse Kudou has in skipping classes. _Someone who’s missed a year can’t possibly be this okay with skipping their classes!_ He waits until Kudou’s ordered something before entering the store. 

Kudou is the only one inside of the store, which hardly surprises Kaito. The place is known for its ‘eco-conscious’ mission and modern aesthetic, meaning the food was overpriced and subpar at best. It’s most popular among high school and college students, who should all be in classes.

The barista is wearing a green apron with the store’s logo ironed on. Her hands are shaking as she stares down towards the pickup line. 

Oh right. They look alike.

“I’m not with him,” Kaito says with a wink. The barista flushes and takes his order, offering to add an extra pump of chocolate syrup to it for free. The magician beams as he hands over cash. He puts the change in the tip jar and makes his way over to pick up his order. Kudou looks over at him and raises an eyebrow. “I thought there was no finding each other outside of heists.”

Kaito smirks. “It was unintentional.”

Kudou nods. They wait for their drinks in silence, watching the barista travel between their two cups while stealing occasional glances at the detective and thief. She hands their drinks over at the same time.

“You’re Kudou Shinichi, right?”

The detective smiles and nods. The barista breaks out into a smile and asks for a photo with him. From the sides, Kaito watches as she marvels over meeting the detective and thanks Kudou for helping with a case some time ago. Kudou accepts the thanks, but exchanges a glance with Kaito which begs for help.

“Kudou-san, I was wondering if we could talk about my case?”

The detective turns around too quickly. He gives a brief apology to the barista, who calls out that “I added some extra syrup to your drink as well!” as they seat themselves as far from the counter as possible.

Kudou grimaces. “I hate sweet drinks,” he says. Kaito takes a sip of his own drink and lets out a noise that makes Kudou shake his head. Like the heists, they don’t say much. By the time Kaito is halfway done with his drink, the detective looks down at his own. He sighs and holds the drink to his lips.

“How is it?” Kaito asks. He coughs to ease an itch in his throat and takes a gulp of his drink. It’s lukewarm at best, but feels soothing regardless. Kudou takes a sip of his own drink but places it on the table to take off the lid. 

“It’s disgusting. I don’t know what she put in-” he takes a sniff and his eyes widen. “Oh no,” he mutters, looking around the museum desperately. His breathing gets shallow and he covers his mouth with his sleeve. “Don’t look at me.”

Kaito coughs again, “Why?”

“Cyanide,” he responds, muffled. “I don’t think that was a real barista here. She’s the daughter of a murderer I caught last week, and she didn’t say the store’s scripted speech after completing orders.”

Kaito panics. Things are going to restart in maybe 5 minutes and he’s not sure how to handle that. He takes another sip of his drink and-

“-shit. If she wasn’t a real barista, then I think she put some product made with some sort of fish product in it.”

His allergy to fish is no secret among his friends, but it felt unnecessary to bring it up in a coffee shop. Kaito opens his own drink, but it slips from his grip as his body begins to go numb. The bottom of the cup is lined with a thin layer of gel. _Fish gelatin._

“That’s why they gave us extra pumps in our drinks, bec-” His strained voice ceases to come out. He looks at the detective, who’s slumped over the table with an alarming pallor. In his final act of consciousness, Kudou shoos him off.

_Please_ , his lips read. Kaito nods and stumbles into the bathroom and collapses to the ground. 

_What are the odds that we die at the same time… twice?_ He’ll think about it in a moment, he decides.

The last thing Kaito hears in this life is the sound of a bell, indicating that someone has entered the coffee shop, and an ensuing scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kaito...
> 
> Most chapters will be one loop, with the exception of a few interludes which serve as a brief reprieve from the physical and emotional pain put on Kaito.
> 
> I'm on Tumblr: [link](https://bentofaxmachine.tumblr.com/)


	4. Interlude 1: It's No Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the heist, Jii goes to return the Beetle to his longtime friend. He stays for a drink or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to do this last week oops. Anyways, enjoy a short reprieve from the pain, death, and angst :)

Driving through the winding driveway at the Agasa residence, Jii Konosuke watches as the garage door opens for him. He knows better than to assume it to be automatic; as usual, a nine year old girl stands by the door nursing a cup of herbal tea.

“Welcome back, Jii-san,” Ai greets. After she closes the garage, the small scientist leads Jii through the door into the mansion. It directly connects to the home’s basement, leaving Jii envious each time he stepped into their furnished mudroom. 

Jii exchanges his loafers for a pair of slippers with the KID logo on them. The first time they had set them out for him, Ai explained that they were intended to be a gag gift for Kudou-kun. As soon as he opened the present, he had sheepishly explained that another friend had already gotten him the same pair. It was one of many anecdotes that Jii had filed away in his mind for the day that Kaito approached him about the detective.

Agasa, his longtime friend, stands from his stool to greet his friend when he reaches the top of the steep stairs. After bowing politely, a panting Jii-chan hands over the Beetle’s car keys and a bottle of fine bourbon. When the professor reads the bottle’s label, his eyebrows shoot up. 

“We’ll drink this tonight,” he announces.

Jii shakes his head but makes no effort to call for a taxi as he always did. “We did this last time with the scotch, and poor Ai-san didn’t get a wink of sleep that night.”

“I won’t let Hakase drink alone,” Ai interrupts. “Besides, I can afford to miss a couple of days of elementary school.” She says the final words with a bitter tone, and Jii sympathizes. Even on the accelerated course she was on, such a bright mind must find elementary school to be dull.

Agasa uncorks the bottle and moves to grab two glasses. “Ai-kun, you could join us if you took a pill.” He chuckles right after, but the comment still earns him an icy glare as the girl seats herself at the counter. Jii swallows and focuses on his hands, to ignore what he shouldn’t have heard.

Fortunately, Ai only rolls her eyes. “My tea is fine, thank you very much.”

After a moment of silence, the professor slides a glass over to the bartender. Like the other times, they raise their glasses. “To our boys,” they mutter in sync, to which the girl responds “Hear, hear”.

The alcohol burns pleasantly down his throat. As Jii tastes the hints of cinnamon in the drink, he can’t help but be grateful to have drunk something so exquisite. Both men let out a satisfied breath when their glasses are placed back on the table.

“That’s quite nice,” Agasa comments and Jii hums in agreement. He takes another sip and lets it sit for a while, allowing the professor to show off his latest inventions. Nothing for Kaito this time, but interesting nonetheless. 

When there’s a lull in the conversation, Jii clears his throat. “So, what did Kudou-kun think of the heist tonight? Kaito-botchama seemed exhausted. His uniform is also damaged, I’m afraid.”

Agasa and Ai exchange a glance. Jii panics. “If you’d like to not speak of it tonight, I don’t mind-”

“Shinichi-kun came back with a bullet graze.” 

Jii expects to see his friend’s face filled with concern, but it just seems annoyed. “He didn’t even mention it until Ai-kun had brought up the tear in his pants. He had…” Agasa signs again, scratching at his head, “... _ forgotten  _ about his own injury in the midst of helping Kuroba-kun with his own.”

He can’t help but laugh. “Inspector Nakamori threw out his statement from the night as well.” Jii closes his mouth then, aware of what he’s just said. “Of course, that’s what I assume from what you guys have said…”

“We know your son is KID, so you don’t have to cover your listening devices to us. I’ve done worse anyways.” Ai’s gaze turns cloudy for a split second, before reverting to their typical neutral glance.

Jii lets a small smile form on his lips. “If that’s the case…”

He pulls out a small recorder. After rewinding it, he leaves it on the island for Ai and Agasa to lean into.

_ “...damn detective, too busy pining after that theif to actually do is job. This time I’ll have him banned from the next heist.” _

_ “S-sir, you can’t do that… last time that happened the Glitter Incident happened…” _

Chuckling lightly, Jii stops the recorder. The antics of KID had been laughable during the following heists (the Glitter Incident included), but Kaito’s mood had been soured so much that he had hardly even done a trick that week. As miserable as it was to see Kaito like that, it was an important week all the same; after all, that was when Jii had first suspected Kaito’s feelings towards the detective.

Ai lets a strained smile form at her lips. “It’s really no secret that the two of them are infatuated with each other. Even the kids see it,” She tries to seem lighthearted but Ai’s knuckles turn white as they curl around her mug. 

_ The kids… _ he assumes it’s the children who had befriended Conan (The Detective Boys, was it?). 

“And you’re okay with that?” Jii asks the girl.

“Whatever makes him happy.” There’s an unmistakable flush spreading through her cheeks. Jii pretends to miss it, opting to merely acknowledge her response with a nod. He picks up his drink again, finishing his glass. Before he can do so himself, the professor reaches out for the bottle, now half empty.

As he refills Jii’s cup, the professor’s brow furrows. “They keep dancing around each other. Perhaps we should introduce them to each other?” 

Jii shakes his head. “Don’t worry about them. Our boys will find each other at the right time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://bentofaxmachine.tumblr.com/)


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